Toyo Begins Production at Malaysia Plant

Construction has been completed on Toyo Tire & Rubber Co.’s new passenger and light truck tire manufacturing plant in Malaysia.

Some 350 people attended the opening ceremony, including Ambassador Shigeru Nakamura of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, the secretary general of Ministry of International Trade & Industry, state and local officials, and those involved in the plant’s construction.

“At Toyo Tyre Malaysia (TTM), we have implemented our proprietary A.T.O.M. tire production system elemental technology,” said Kenji Nakakura, Toyo Tires chairman. “We will take full advantage of Japanese technology in order to achieve Japanese quality here in Malaysia and supply world-class, high-performance, fuel-efficient tires from this plant. I want us to deliver fantastic tires made in Malaysia to our customers here and abroad and achieve the sentiment that the decision to choose Toyo tires was the right one.”

The facility will have an annual capacity of 2.5 million tires by the end of this year, with a yearly capacity of 5 million by 2015. The site has enough space for future expansion, the tiremaker added.

Toyo said it is making progress toward building a three-region global supply system comprised of North America, Japan and Asia. “Among these regions, Asia is in a process of expanded motorization where further growth of demand is expected, and is positioned as a vital strategic market that will provide a boost to Toyo’s business foundation,” the company stated.